A Toxic Spill Might Be Behind the Argentina Canal’s Blood Red Appearance

A small town outside of Buenos Aires, Argentina woke up to a blood red sight on Feb. 6, 2025, when the Sarandí Canal appeared bright red. Officials in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Avellaneda worried that the color change may have been the result of a toxic spill, putting residents on high alert.

Unfortunately for residents and the creatures that call the area home, this isn't the first time the Sarandí Canal has undergone a dramatic color change.

Keep reading to learn more about what is going on with the Argentina canal that turned red, and what locals say is behind the water's macabre hue.

Residents of Avellaneda were left reeling after discovering that the canal that ran along their homes had turned crimson. It's important to note the location is in a mixed residential and industrial area of Buenos Aires.

The residents spoke to the Associated Press about the terrifying scene in their backyards, explaining they were frightened by the waterway's awful smell and peculiar color.

"It looks like a stream of blood; we have never seen it like this," a woman named María Ducomls told the publication.

Folks like Ducomls feared the worst after getting a look at the water, assuming that the change had been brought about by a toxic chemical spill. That's likely due to the Sarandí's proximity to massive industrial buildings that serve as tanneries, and even one that processes toxic waste, according to a report from DW News.

Officials are still searching for answers after retrieving samples from the water. According to initial testing performed by a mobile lab that collected samples on-site, it appeared that the blood red color was the result of a dye that had been added to the water.

According to the New York Post, locals believe this may have been the result of factories along the canal dumping chemicals or dyes into the canal, which flows into the larger body of water known as the Río de la Plata.

Despite the shock from some residents, others say this isn't the first time they've seen the Sarandí change colors. According to the BBC, A woman who went by the name Silvia said that while the canal was currently red, "other times it was yellow, with an acidic smell that makes us sick even in the throat."

Ducomls told the DW News something similar, claiming that local industrial companies had been known to dump waste in the canal, turning it "bluish, a little green, pink, a little lilac, with grease on top."

"It's terrible, you don't have to be an inspector to see how much pollution the poor Sarandí River suffers from," she continued.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Ducomls is exaggerating. A report from Infobae revealed that Buenos Aires had seen a 30% increase in accidents where toxic chemicals had been spilled, according to Noticias Ambientales.

Given that DW News states that the Sarandí also runs along portions of a nature reserve, it seems even more important than ever that officials figure out a way to determine the cause of all of these spills so they can start working on a way to prevent them.